Benefits of Napping for College Students

 In college, sleep has become a rare occurrence, almost like a precious commodity that I’m sure most of us would want to happen more often, but are willing to forgo. As college students, sleep takes too long and most of us have agreed to sacrifice sleep in order to get good grades. All-nighters seem to have become a regular occurrence in college, and the amount of all-nighters only increases around midterms and finals week. Running on little-to-no sleep has become has become commonplace in college, and our bodies have begun adjusting to this by forcing ourselves to rely on things like coffee, sugar and energy drinks. If as students we are willing to sacrifice sleep at night, we should try to nap for a couple minutes during the day until we actually have time to catch up on sleep. A great way to create the ultimate environment for your power nap is to use an eye mask and earplugs. Everything will seem dark, plus the inability to open your eyes will help you to fall asleep faster.

Here are the benefits to taking a 20 min. power map.

1. Better test performance and short-term memory. A 10-20 minute nap can boost alertness and improve your memory during the day. Studies have shown that naps are actually better than caffeine when it comes to improved recall memory, which is good to have in mind if you have exams coming up. 

2. Less mood swings. If you seem find yourself snapping back at your roommates lately, it might have something to do with your lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation affects your mood, ma king you feel cranky and even depressed.

3. Increased productivity. If you find that it’s taking you longer than usual to complete a task or assignment, try to stop what you’re doing and take a power nap instead. You should wake up refreshed and able to work more efficiently.

4. Survive all-nighters. If you know that you have an all-nighter coming soon, it’s good to pre-plan your nap so that you can feel alert, even if you don’t get a regular night’s sleep.

5. Better judgment. If you wrestle with making responsible decisions, it may help to take a nap, which can help to clear your mind and make rational decisions.

In case you are wondering how to create the ultimate environment for your power nap, a great way is to use an eye mask and earplugs. Everything will seem dark, plus the inability to open your eyes will help you to fall asleep faster.